From Bad to Worse
by Master Jessie
Summary: Written as a response to Darth KenObi-Wan's challenge. A routine perimeter check turns into a fight to survive for a young Padawan and her small squad of clone troopers. Slight AU.


**Disclaimer**: I do not own Star Wars or the characters, stories, etc. it consists of. I wrote this for the fun of it and make no profit by it.

So this story popped into my head as soon as I read Darth KenOb-Wan's challenge and is a response to such challenge. It's set sometime around 20 BBY on some forsaken Sepie controlled planet. Jessie is my OC who became Obi-Wan's Padawan a little after Anakin got Snips. I plan on writing other stories to explain how she became his Padawan and what happens to her and stuff, but until then…Enjoy! Oh and I'm hoping to write another chapter, we'll see how it goes. R&R! Thanks! :)

"Master, don't worry about it. I can handle the patrol. Just get some sleep, okay?" Jessie told Obi-Wan as she swung her legs from her bunk. The girl looked just like your average Jedi, from the rough cream tunics to the worn leather boots. Her dark brown hair fell to her shoulders in three neat braids, two large one small, which framed her rounded face. Bright hazel eyes peered out from behind long lashes to see that her master was still shoving on his boots. "Seriously Master, don't make me tell Anakin you haven't been sleeping."

The older Jedi froze. He'd been spending most of recent nights lying awake, staring at the ceiling, unable to face the nightmare of Siri's death that repeated itself in his mind each time he closed his eyes. "You wouldn't."

"Oh, we both know I would," Jessie countered forcefully, though her tone was full of worry.

Obi-Wan sighed.

"Fine, but take a squad with you."

"Yeah, yeah, okay." The Padawan smiled and rolled her eyes. She was glad that he'd backed off, but annoyed by his constant worry about her safety. They'd practically decimated the separatist forces at the last battle and hadn't seen any activity since. She didn't expect to see anything but dirt on the short trip around the compound. Nevertheless, Jessie rounded up the usual group: Waxer, Boil, Wooley, and Longshot. Cody joined them on their way out into the dry night, muttering something about Rex snoring louder than an ion blast.

"Just a quick sweep around the place and then we're done for the night boys," she called as they made their way through base. The mumbled assent of 'sir yes sir' wasn't that surprising of a response. They'd all been pushing it the past few days. There wasn't much talk as they made their way around, nothing but the sound of boots kicking up the dust as they walked. They were just reaching the half-way point when it happened. One minute Jessie was making a half-hearted joke about the weather, the next she was shoving Cody to the side as the ground exploded below her feet. The blast sent her tumbling through the air and she landed with a dull thud on her back. The last thing she heard before blacking out was Cody's rough voice shouting 'Ambush!'.

"Form a perimeter around the Commander!" the clone continued as battle droids poured in from three sides all but surrounding the small patrol. The troops formed a circle just behind him, blasting away at the enemy. Cody managed to turn on his comm. link with one hand as he loosed round after round at the oncoming clankers.

"Kenobi," came a tired voice from the small device.

"General! We're under attack, sector C5-7! Repeat sector C5-7!"

"Reinforcements are on their way!" The clone commandeer could hardly hear the muffled shout above the haze off the battle. His fellow clones were cutting down wave after wave of the droids. Precision shots stopped the killing machines dead in their tracks, control panels sparking. It wasn't long before small sizzling piles of droid parts lay around them. About a third of the enemy was down by the time the reinforcements arrived. Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka all jumped from the gunship before it landed, the movement of their blue and green blades perfectly in sync as they joined the fight. The three deflected the onslaught of fire from the droids, sending it back in the enemy's direction and away from their troops. With the help of the Jedi and the extra clones, it wasn't long before the Separatist forces were overwhelmed. Soon, the droids were nothing more than scrap metal lying in piles at their feet. It wasn't until the remaining few were shot down that Ob-Wan realized he hadn't seen his Padawan once during the skirmish. It was then that he saw the crumpled form inside the broken circle of soldiers.

"Padawan!" he shouted, scrambling over to her. He crashed to his knees at her side as the sky rumbled overhead. The girl's breathe was slow and ragged, its sound matching the appearance of her singed clothes. Silver bits of metal had found their way into her skin. Each piece was surrounded by a dark, seeping puddle of maroon. Her pulse was slow and he could feel her life force ebbing away as he gently lifted her limp form. He called out roughly for a medic as Anakin and Ahsoka reached them. By the time the clone arrived, Obi-Wan's eyes were burning with the threat of unshed tears. He reluctantly handed Jessie over to the medic, not needing to see behind the clone's helmet to know he didn't think it looked good. Kenobi cursed himself under his breath. If she died now, he would never forgive himself. After all, it was his fault, his patrol. He shouldn't have let her cover for him, but he had and now she was at death's door. It had been mere weeks since he'd lost Siri and a combination of grief and exhaustion had already been pushing him to the brink. Jessie's death would be the straw that broke the bantha's back.

Anakin had Ahsoka round up the remaining troops and take them back to base, as he kneeled next to his former master. It was raining now. There was mud and blood everywhere. In the middle of the battlefield were two figures. Closer inspection revealed them to be Jedi Knights. Obi-Wan Kenobi knelt in the mud, his head resting against Anakin Skywalker's shoulder as he sobbed. They had already taken _her_ body away. All that was left to do was to wait and hope as hard as he could that the Force wouldn't take her from him.


End file.
